Most innovative storefront/entrance system

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Crystal Achievement Award Judge BJ Katz, art director/principal for Meltdown Glass Art & Design LLC, Tempe, Ariz., calls the NanaWall SL82 Structurally Glazed Folding Wall System “simple and elegant, with clean, minimalist lines.” From NanaWall Systems, Mill Valley, Calif., the entrance is the result of three years of research and development, and was designed to meet demand for a structurally glazed folding door system for large openings that blended with the all-glass aesthetic of a structurally glazed curtain wall.

The structurally glazed door panels are created by mounting the dual-pane or triple-pane glass to the exterior of the structural door frames in a thin channel that is virtually invisiblefrom the exterior. A triple wraparound sealing process protects the glass edge when opening and closing the system. This seal also increases the overall strength of the system, which has been independently tested for water penetration, air infiltration, structural and thermal performance, forced entry and acoustic performance.

Suitable for commercial and residential applications, the system provides: an all-glass aesthetic; a slim line profile surrounding the glass panes for clean lines; the ability to create large exterior openings up to 39 feet wide and 8 feet, 2 inches high; 24 in-swing stacking configurations with options for swing/exit panels; long-term ease of operation along a single track with bottom-supported rollers and adjustable hinges; concealed multipoint locking hardware; three levels of seals for protection from wind pressure and driving rain; a high-performance sill; a fiberglass-reinforced thermal break that, with triple glazing, allows the SL82 to achieve a U-value of 0.29; the ability to accommodate double glazing or up to 1 ½-inch thick triple glazing; and the choice of hundreds of powder coated and anodized aluminum finishes.